SRA: Soul Reaper Agency
by Strawberry-Chappy Forever
Summary: Rukia Kuchiki is one of the best agents in the Soul Reaper organization. However, her new partner, Ichigo Kurosaki, might make things a little more difficult. Together they find and archive the world's famous artifacts that are being sold on the black market. AU kind of like Warehouse 13 but not really. Ichiruki/one-sided Renruki. Better description in the first paragraph.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Bonjour! Gutentag! **

***ahem* Anyway, I started this a while ago and never got around to doing anything with it. I got this idea to kind of do a Bleach version of Warehouse 13…or a Warehouse 13 version of Bleach…I don't know, it's kinda Warehouse 13-ish and what not. Not really enough to call it a crossover, but you know. So basically, no zanpaku-to or anything like that, but there's still sort of a supernatural thing that plays a part. And I'll probably add this into later chapters, but for future reference, there's 13 different "teams" "divisions" "groups" whatever, and the captains are gonna be the head people at each one. For the sake of this, Rukia's with Byakuya in his "insert thing" so yeah. Have fun! You don't have to know what Warehouse 13 is to read it, but if you do know what it is, good for you! :D**

**I don't own Bleach or any other thing I may accidentally mention in here. **

Chapter One—New Recruit: Agent Strawberry

Twenty years ago, a group calling themselves "Souls" formed together. They were a group of thieves and smugglers that tracked and sold the world's legendary artifacts (like the Holy Grail) and even the not so legendary ones (Benjamin Franklin's key that was tied to the kite he supposedly flew in a lightning storm) on the black market. After a string of odd, unexplainable murders, the government created a new group who took on the name "Soul Reapers". The Soul Reapers have been stopping deals and catching dealers in the Souls for years, never making themselves known to the world. The youngest member was a raven-haired girl named Rukia Kuchiki. At the age of fifteen, she joined the team led by her older brother, Byakuya. Now, at the age of nineteen, she was practically his second in command.

Rukia sat in her brother's office, waiting to be assigned to her next mission.

"I'm sending you to catch one of the Soul's best known dealers." Byakuya slid a picture across the desk toward her of a man with silverish hair and a large grin. "I take it you've heard of a man named Sosuke Aizen?"

"Of course," she said nodding. Sosuke Aizen was one of the most infamous of the Souls. Rukia was a bit confused by the question however, seeing as the man in the picture was clearly _not_ Aizen.

"This man is Gin Ichimaru, Aizen's right hand man," Byakuya continued, answering her unasked question. "The two of them handle the more…_dangerous_ items."

Rukia nodded again, patiently waiting for the rest of the information. Was Byakuya sending her after this man?

"I'm sure I'll be able to handle it," she said slowly. Byakuya cleared his throat.

"Actually, the Agency has declared this too dangerous for an agent to tackle alone. Especially one of your age. You will be taking this mission, but not by yourself."

Rukia's eyebrows furrowed together slightly over dark violet eyes. She knew Byakuya had become very overprotective over the past few years, even though he never showed it on the outside. The feeling that the Agency weren't the only ones involved was slowly growing in her mind. "Are you coming with me?"

Byakuya shook his head, "No, they've assigned you a partner."

"Renji?" Rukia asked, keeping the hopeful tone out of her voice. Renji Abarai was the only agent around their division who was close to her age. He was only twenty and had bright red hair with black tattoos that covered his forehead. These were usually covered by a white head band that he always wore. The two of them had been fast friends when Rukia had joined and been that way ever since.

Again Byakuya shook his head. "Agent Abarai is being sent on another mission. You've been partnered with a new recruit: a boy by the name of Ichigo Kurosaki. He's only eighteen, but, I've heard, shows promise."

She was being partnered with a new recruit on a mission that was deemed too dangerous to go alone? Now she _knew _Byakuya had something to do with it. Rukia quickly dismissed these thoughts, focusing instead on the information about her new partner.

"Ichigo? Doesn't that mean—?"

"Strawberry?" Byakuya finished, sounding as unamused as he always did. "Yes, I know, but the Agency has taken a liking to him. He'll be here shortly. The two of you will leave once he's ready."

Rukia rose from her chair and bowed, aware that she was being dismissed.

"Yes, Nii-sama." She turned and left the room, carrying the folder with the mission details close to her chest. Renji was waiting for her at the end of the hallway.

"New mission?" he asked.

"Why else would Nii-sama call me into his office? Tea and cake?" Rukia replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, I suppose he's not exactly a family man is he?" Renji shrugged. He cleared his throat. "I, uh, I've got a mission too, thanks for asking. A bust on a deal about ten minutes from here."

"I already knew. I didn't need to ask."

Unable to think of a witty comeback, Renji just looked ahead. They came out into the open commons area to see an orange-haired boy walking toward them, a bag slung over his shoulder.

"You Rukia Kuchiki?" he asked. His voice was very loud and sarcastic sounding. _This'll be fun,_ Rukia thought. She nodded at him anyway.

"Yes, that's me. You're Ichigo, I take it?"

"Yeah, the guy at the door told me to look for the short kid with purple eyes," said Ichigo, crossing his arms behind his head, a scowl plastered across his face. Even though he _was_ at least a foot taller than Rukia who was only a whopping four-foot, nine-inches, she didn't appreciate the comment. Renji stood behind her, struggling to keep the smile off of his face.

"I suppose I should go get briefed on the mission or something," Ichigo shrugged. "I won't be long, we'll leave soon."

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Rukia growled. She knew she was shorter than most of the people around her! She didn't need Agent Strawberry to remind her. Rukia smirked at the nickname and decided that from that moment on, she would refer to him as such. Renji seemed to be trying very hard not to look amused at her frustration.

"So who's this Ichigo kid supposed to be?" he asked.

"My new partner apparently," said Rukia, glaring at Ichigo's retreating back. The smile began to slide off of Renji's face.

"'Partner'? You've never had to have anyone help you before."

"Yeah, well 'the Agency' seems to think otherwise. _I _think it's just Nii-sama being overprotective." She sighed and smiled up at her friend. "Anyway, unless one of us dies on this next mission, I'm stuck with him."

Renji knew she was joking, but that didn't seem to help the situation any. Rukia looked at the watch on her wrist.

"I better go get ready. See you, Renji."

"Right, bye," he said vaguely. Renji watched her leave, hand still in the air in a half-hearted wave. "See ya, Rukia," he said, even though she was out of earshot. "Don't get hurt…"

Renji smacked himself on the forehead. _Smooth move, idiot, _he thought. _When are you gonna man up and tell her?_

**So, yeah. First chapter's kind short, but these things do seem longer on paper. Whatever. They'll get longer (hopefully) as it goes on. You guys know the drill, read and review, let me know what you think, and if you don't agree with something or there's some huge plot hole that I miss later on, please point it out kindly and do not flame. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Like I said, I had some of it written on paper, so the first couple of chapters are already done. On the bright side, two chapters in one update ****! Oh well. Here's chapter two. **

**I don't own Bleach or any other thing I may accidentally mention in here. **

Chapter Two—First Partner's First Mission: Part One

Rukia huffed impatiently for the third time as she waited in the car for Ichigo. She'd been sitting in the underground parking garage for twenty minutes now and the dim lighting was honestly starting to give her the creeps…Finally, she saw him coming in her direction. His new badge hung around his neck, the letters "SRA" easily noticed from the distance over two crossed swords. A gun was strapped loosely to his belt and the scowl seemed to have a permanent spot on his face. Though, as Rukia looked closer, she noticed it didn't quite reach his brown eyes. He opened the passenger door and slid into the seat.

"About time," Rukia muttered as he pulled on his seatbelt.

"Yeah, whatever. Let's just get going already."

Rukia shoved the key into the ignition a little too roughly and the black car pulled out of the garage. They were miles away from the building before either of them said anything.

"I don't think your brother likes me," said Ichigo, not looking up from the window as trees seemed to fly past them. Rukia glanced at him before returning her attention to the road in front of her.

"My brother doesn't like a lot of people," Rukia stated simply. "And I'm sure he isn't happy about the Agency making you my partner."

"Why not?" Ichigo asked, seeming genuinely confused.

Rukia sighed, trying to keep her patience with the seemingly clueless boy. "Think about it, Kurosaki. His nineteen-year-old sister is going off to some random location with a random eighteen-year-old boy. How would you react?"

Ichigo was quiet for a second. "Well he won't have to worry about anything. I don't really like older women."

Rukia's fingers tightened around the steering wheel. _I'm only one year older, stupid…_she thought, unsure whether to be offended or not.

"He sure is protective of you," said Ichigo, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Well, he _is_ married to my older sister…well…_was…_She died when I was a baby."

Ichigo finally looked up from the window. "I'm sorry…I lost my mom when I was little…" He quickly changed the subject. "So, you're not really related to him?"

"Not by blood anyway," Rukia said, shaking her head. She was a little surprised how fast they were opening up to each other. She hadn't talked to anyone about her sister except for Renji. _I've only known him for an hour and I'm already telling him my life story…_

The two of them were silent for the rest of the drive, Ichigo going back to looking out the window and Rukia keeping her gaze firmly in front of her. The sun was going down, turning the sky a deep red. Occasionally, she'd see Ichigo fiddle with his badge out of the corner of her eye. Finally, Rukia turned in to an old warehouse, just as the moon was rising in the sky. She parked behind the low hanging branches of a large tree where they could see, but not be seen.

"Okay, this is it," she said as she turned off her car. "Wait out here for my signal and if you don't hear anything in ten minutes, call for back-up or something."

"You're not used to working with a partner, are you?" Ichigo asked, watching her strap on her gun.

"How could you tell?" she asked sarcastically, shutting the car door. Ichigo sat back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Aaaand she never told me what the signal was supposed to be," he muttered to himself. "Some partner."

It had been exactly nine minutes since Rukia had disappeared into the building. Ichigo started to reach for his com-link.

"Well, I guess I better call back-up."

He froze as an all-black SUV pulled up in front of where their car was hidden. Ichigo quickly pulled the hood of his jacket over his head to hide his orange hair. Thankfully, the trees kept him from view and he watched as a man stepped out, carrying a large brief case full of what could only be money. He said something to another man who followed him in to the building. Ichigo slowly raised his hand to his ear again.

"Kuchiki, we've got trouble…"

Rukia heard Ichigo's voice through the com-link as she made her way between two large crates.

"What do you mean 'trouble'?" she whispered, pulling out her gun and peeking around the corner. She saw a group of thirteen people all surrounding another in the middle. "Oh."

Simultaneously, every person raised one arm, a silver dagger in their hands. Rukia raised her gun and shot the closest one right between the shoulders. He fell to the ground and Rukia ducked back around the crate as everyone turned. No one said anything for a few seconds before,

"Come on out, Miss Kuchiki. We won't bite," one of them called. He had a silky voice that made a chill run down Rukia's spine. She swore under her breath at being seen and raised her gun, slowly coming around the corner. Gin Ichimaru stood on the other side of the circle, grinning, the dagger held loosely in his hand. The person in the middle stood up, took the knife from the man who Rukia had shot and stood aside, as if he expected her to take his place. Rukia stayed resolutely where she was.

"Gin Ichimaru, you're under arrest for possession of stolen items," she said, she took another look around the group. "And attempted murder."

Gin just looked at her with the smile that never seemed to change. "That's adorable, isn't it?" He was addressing the other men around him and they laughed a little. They were obviously wondering if they were still in trouble.

"Look," Rukia said, starting to get frustrated. "Just put the knives down and put your hands behind your head. I've got a team of armed agents waiting outside—"

"No you don't," Gin interrupted, spotting her lie. "You've got him."

He nodded over her shoulder and she turned to see two men forcing a struggling Ichigo ahead of them.

"He's not even outside anymore. So, why don't _you _drop your weapons and we'll get through this smoothly."

Ichigo was forced down on his knees and gave Rukia an apologetic look that looked more like frustration than anything else. One of the men put a gun against the back of his head. Rukia slowly put her gun on the concrete floor and kicked it away.

"See? Isn't that so much better?" Gin asked. He nodded to the two men and the kicked Ichigo to make him stand up. "Come over here, you two, just stand in the middle there."

The two agents did as they were told, hands behind their heads, and Gin stepped in to the circle to look at them. He was taller than Ichigo by a few inches. Ichigo kept his eyes on the floor, refusing to look up at him.

"I've heard of you, Kuchiki," said Gin. "I'll be sure to tell your brother hi for you. But you," he turned his attention to Ichigo, "I've never seen before. What's your name, kid?"

"Kurosaki," Ichigo said through gritted teeth. How could he have been caught so soon? It was only his first mission for crying out loud! He must be making a great impression on his new partner. Now she was in danger because of him. Great.

"Kurosaki…why does that sound familiar…? Oh well, I'll figure it out later. Anyway, I thought you might like to know that there's a spy in your little Agency. We completely knew you were coming," he stepped back into his spot in the circle, holding up his knife. "For these to work, we only need one of you. Do you want to choose or should we?"

"Let him go," Rukia said boldly, surprising Ichigo. "He's new, he doesn't know much. I'd be a greater loss to the Agency."

"What are you _doing?_" Ichigo hissed at her. She ignored him, keeping her focus on Gin.

"Suit yourself," Gin shrugged.

"Just trust me," Rukia whispered back to him. "Get yourself out of here, I'll be fine."

Someone grabbed Ichigo from behind, holding his arms so he couldn't get away, and started to lead him back out of the building. They were around the corner of a giant crate when Ichigo spotted something small and black on the floor. Rukia's gun! Taking a deep breath, Ichigo rammed his head backwards at the other man's nose. Now free, Ichigo kicked him in the stomach, and then the back of the neck, effectively rendering him unconscious. Ichigo snatched Rukia's gun from the floor and hid behind a crate nearer to the group. All of them had their knives in the air, ready to bring them down. Without thinking, Ichigo took his cellphone from his pocket and threw it as far as he could. The noise it made had the desired effect and they all looked toward it. Quickly, Ichigo slid Rukia's gun between two of the men and it stopped at her foot. She ducked down and grabbed it, shooting the man nearest to her in the shoulder.

Ichigo watched as she snatched up his knife and stabbed another in the leg. He felt like he should join in and help, but she moved so smoothly when she did it that he couldn't help but stay where he was. Rukia soon had every one of them on the ground except for Gin. Surprisingly, she hadn't killed any of them. Granted, a few of them probably wouldn't walk ever again, but they were still alive. She turned to face Gin, gun and knife in her hands. Her shoulders rose and fell as she panted but she'd barely broken a sweat. Gin kept his smile as he started to clap slowly.

"Veeeery impressive, Kuchiki!" he said. "Do you know what that is that you're holding?"

"One of the daggers that killed Julius Caesar," Rukia said matter-of-factly.

"Very good. And what do they do?" Gin asked her as if he were a teacher asking a student a simple math problem.

"There are thirteen in all and if used at once to stab one or more victims twenty-three times altogether they will merge into one knife that can make any wound fatal, even a scratch."

"Wonderful. And how many times did you stab these men?"

Rukia shut her eyes, looking like she was kicking herself mentally. "Eighteen."

"See? You're just making my job easier! Now, how's about you hand over that knife."

"I don't think so."

"Hmm," Gin laughed. "Gentlemen!"

Twelve of them, who still had their knives, raised themselves up slightly.

"I only need five of you."

Seven of them sighed in relief and fell back onto the ground. The remaining five held their knives over their chests, the tips pointing at their hearts. Rukia quickly realized what was going on and tried to grab a dagger from one of them but she was too far away. Ichigo dived out from behind a crate and tackled one of them, forcing the dagger away. Unfortunately, the other four succeeded in their goal and collapsed onto the concrete, dead.

"Dammit!" Rukia shouted. Ichigo wrestled the knife out of the last man's hand and stood up. He caught sight of Gin, raising his own dagger.

"Rukia, look out!" Ichigo shouted. But Gin only sliced his palm, letting blood drip onto the floor and dropped his knife.

"Have fun, kids!" he said before running off in another direction. Ichigo started to go after him but Rukia stopped him.

"Let him go, Kurosaki. We have the knives. We can let him get away just this once."

Suddenly all the knives began to vibrate and shake violently before all flying at Rukia and merging in to the one in her hand.

"Knife," Ichigo corrected. "Looks like he got what he wanted."

"Except _we_ have the extremely deadly knife instead of him."

"Yeah…should we be worried? I mean, about what he said about a spy…?"

"We should report it," she said tersely. On the outside, she was very calm and collected. On the inside, however, her mind was racing through everyone she knew at their building. Who could have been the spy? Rukia took her jacket off and wrapped the knife in it. "Let's go."

Ichigo followed quietly beside her. He caught sight of her watch and was a little surprised to find that an hour had passed. It had seemed so much faster—twenty minutes, tops. Outside, the van from earlier was gone, the people with the money long gone. Once they were in the car, Rukia paused before putting the key in the ignition.

"Back there…you called me 'Rukia'…"

Ichigo looked up at her with an eyebrow raised, his seatbelt halfway to the buckle. "Well…that's your name isn't it?"

"Yeah, but…you haven't called me by my first name before…"

"It just came out. If you want me to go back to your last name, it's not a problem."

"No, no…it's fine…Ichigo…"

Ichigo smirked. _I guess we're on a first name basis now, _he thought. They drove away, the full moon the only other light on the road besides the headlights. The smile faded from Ichigo's face as he suddenly remembered something.

_I'm gonna need a new phone…_

**See? I told you it'd be longer. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and if not…well…whatever, you didn't like it. I'll try and update soon, but you guys know how things are. Especially if you write stories too. **

**Read and review and thanks for giving this the time of day!**


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